2-year-old, who died in fire, was outgoing, fan of ‘Frozen’

The last time anyone saw Genevieve Brouillette, she was snuggled by her favorite fleece Minnie Mouse blanket, drinking a combination of Dr. Pepper and root beer out of sippy cup and watching her favorite movie, “Frozen,” said her mother Jenne Brouillette.

With Genevieve settled in, her stepfather, Fredrick Ferree, left the camper where the family was living to get a bottle for Genevieve’s 10-month-old brother, Brouillette said. Ferree walked to his father’s residence, which is on the same property. He stayed for a couple minutes to chat but soon noticed smoke, Brouillette said

Genevieve, who would have turned 3 in August, died in the fire that consumed the camper at about 8 p.m. Tuesday at 4039 Hoo Doo Loop near Oldtown, Idaho. Fire officials say the cause is under investigation.

Genevieve was a happy girl who said hi to anyone who passed by her in a grocery store, cuddled up with her baby brother to soothe him, took her stuffed bunny with her everywhere and loved being outside, her mother said.

“Everybody who knew her loved her,” Jenne Brouillette said. “We tried to make that girl happy every day she was alive. That’s all we wanted for our kids.”

Investigators initially thought the fire may have been caused by electrical wiring, but officials noted on Thursday that Genevieve had access to a hand-held blowtorch.

Bonner County Undersheriff David Hale said Genevieve may have inadvertently started the fire. Hale said several adults, including Ferree, were at or near the camper and were unharmed.

Brouillette acknowledged there likely was a blowtorch in the camper that they used to start camp fires and roast hot dogs. But she said after an incident about a month ago she and Ferree were extremely careful with where they kept it. She said Genevieve “got a hold of it and lit it” and put it up against a piece of wood outside. It didn’t cause damage, but they’ve made sure to keep the blowtorch out of her reach since, she said.

The Spirit Lake and West Pend Oreille fire departments put out the fire within 20 minutes of arrival, Spirit Lake Fire Marshal Wayne Noacki said.

It destroyed the camper but did not spread.

Noacki said there was illegal electrical wiring running from the camper to various appliances outside.

Brouillette was at work at Accurate Molded Plastics in Coeur d’Alene at the time of the fire. She was pulled aside by her supervisor and driven back to the property. She said it was dark when she arrived and didn’t get a close look at the camper. She, Ferree and their son, Justin, are staying with Brouillette’s mother in Coeur d’Alene.

“I don’t think we can ever bear to go back there again,” she said.